There are many fears and myths about castration in dogs as well as mishandled information that can lead to a misunderstanding about this procedure.
Dogs, like all animals are not influenced by their sexual> dog, this will not lose vitality, energy, nor will it have any unusual behavior.
The castration of the dog It involves removing both testicles through a small incision in front of the scrotum. The surgery has no problems and can be performed after 2 months of age. Your pet will require a few days to heal the small operation and can continue a normal life.
When castrating your dog, this will not stop being male. You will only lose the desire to mate. Putting aside the instinct for reproduction, your dog It will have a longer life and will also benefit the problem of over-population of unwanted pets.
Another benefit is that the dog suppresses unwanted behaviors such as aggressiveness, continuous marking of territories, bad mood, howls and the desire to escape (which often happens). According to scientific estimates, 80% of castrated males immediately stop marking territory, while the other 20 gradually do so.
In addition, it benefits from decreasing stress levels that, as we discussed in another article, can cause aggressive> dog. Perhaps the behavior is one of the factors that is most benefited by castration. It should be noted that these changes also go hand in hand with the education and training that the animal has received.
Credible or not, obesity in dogs is linked to hormonal production. A neutered puppy will tend to suffer less from obesity because the metabolism tends to decrease the production of testosterone, which leads to the body needing less energy to function.
Finally the myth is handled that a dog castrated tends to be more lazy, loses the joy and desire to play among other things. In my experience I have never seen a case where a dog changes its nature or undergoes changes in its intelligence when castrated. On the contrary, all the stress, obsessions and bad mood caused by excess testosterone will gradually emancipate what will benefit your pet.
It is up to the owners to castrate a dog or not. Before doing so it is advisable to meditate if the sexual life of your dog is really important or not. In the end, both a neutered and an untrained dog are equally faithful and affectionate. Everything is in knowing how to educate them.
Castration prevents unwanted dogs
In many cities there is an overpopulation of pets. This means that millions of dogs and cats do not have a home. Some live in a shelter, others on the street. There are not enough houses and families for everyone. This could be reduced with sterilization.
That's because castrating a dog is not something that is only done in stray or abandoned animals. The ones we have at home too, since in this way they don't bring more pets into the world, and give the existing ones the opportunity to be adopted.
Castrating a dog has health benefits
The recommended age to sterilize a dog is between 6 and 9 months of age. But nevertheless, a puppy can be neutered after 8 weeks, as long as he is healthy. Adults, in turn, can be operated, but the larger they are, the more risks or complications there may be in the procedure, even if it is a very simple intervention.
Regarding the benefits of neutering a dog for its health, we can highlight that sterilized males do not suffer from testicular cancer when removed. This disease is one of the causes of death in dogs.
Nor will it develop prostate problems. In the event that we do not punish him, that organ will gradually increase (as the dog grows). This can cause urination problems. While sterilization does not completely protect against prostate cancer, it does reduce the risk of getting it, as well as infections.
Advantages in dog behavior
On the other hand, we should talk about the benefits of neutering a dog in relation to its behavior. As with humans, canines also act according to their sex hormones (testosterone). It is worth noting that aspects such as joy, sympathy or personality of the animal will not be modified after being sterilized.
However, there will be certain changes in their habits, related to mating, which are good for the animal (and also for the owners). For example, stop urinating anywhere to mark territory. In this way, the hairy say goodbye to testosterone. When the dog is neutered, it will only urinate for physiological reasons, and not everywhere.
In addition, in those animals accustomed to escaping or trying to sneak away from home looking for females in heat, castration makes them calmer. By not having the urge to wander to reproduce, they will stay at home.
If you want to castrate a dog because yours is very aggressive, do not hesitate to do so. Sterilization decreases the possibility of fighting with other animals and, in some cases, encourages socialization in areas outside the home (for example, in the park). It is believed that "social" dog problems are related to hormones.
It is best to castrate a dog before it reaches sexual maturity, so you don't develop unwanted habits. If your pet is already several years old and sterilized, it is likely that he will continue with his behavior, although less pronounced.
It is necessary to know then that this intervention is not a solution for behavioral problems. Although it significantly reduces testosterone levels, it does not mean that it will never produce that hormone again.. The effects of castration will depend on personality, physiology, and even teaching.
What are the disadvantages of neutering a dog?
Although sterilization is a very advantageous process, it results in certain side effects:
- A neutered male dog can become attractive to the unsterilized.
- It can grow a little taller if operated before finishing the growth process.
- You are predisposed to develop two types of cancer (osteosarcoma and hemangiosarcoma).
- You are at greater risk of hip dysplasia or cranial cruciate ligament rupture.
- A neutered dog usually develops hyperthyroid>
Advantages of neutering a dog
- Thecastrationin dogs decisively influencesbehaviors related to the reproductive pattern or hormonal dependent processes
In this way, castration is a clear prevention method for dogs with behavioral problems that may be uncomfortable for the owner and motivate abandonment or euthanasia for dogs. Another reason why the dog ends up in the kennel. Other training techniques such as electric dog collars can be used to avoid castration.
From here, we have a first line of argument that will help us assess in an objective and effective way in which cases neutering can increase the welfare of an animal.
If these behaviors are complicating the life of the owner or putting the animal's life at risk (cross the street in search of females and do not come to your call), castration could be part of the solution.
But nevertheless, we can't wait for thecastrationradically eliminate aggressive behaviors of our pet, especially in males.
This is mainly due to the fact that many types of aggressiveness are caused by environmental reasons or are related to learning problems and forms of training for dogs. For example, to eliminate behaviors in which the dog barks uncontrollably for no reason, collars can be helpful.
In fact, in the case of females who have shown competitive aggressiveness, castration may be contraindicated. In these cases, castration can have a rebound effect and once castrated bitches can become more aggressive.
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We would also like to clarify a false myth. Castration does not imply that the training process is easier and more bearable, just as it does not influence the performance of working dogs.
- Castrar significantly decreases the risk of breast tumors as well as testicular cancer
In the case of females, these types of tumors are the most common. This statement is based on clinical studies that prove it.
- Castration also helps prevent any disease related to the uterus
When we talk about diseases related to the uterus, we refer to disorders related to pregnancy such as pseudogestation (commonly known as "psychological pregnancy") and also to childbirth. These types of disorders are very common in dogs.
2 comments on “Pros and cons of neutering a dog. Differences between neutering and spaying ”
Hello, I am afraid of neutering my dog, but I read that on the one hand it is better but on the other hand it can also affect me and on top of that it would make me fat. If something happened to him, as he heard, it could hurt his hip or make him fat, is that true? and that also produces two cancer to castrate the dog that is possible then we are in the same no?
Here it is best to consult the veterinarian, each case is different. Greetings
